Supporters of the actress — who has played Carol since Season 1 — took to TVLine’s comments section to demand that AMC finally do the right thing and make her a regular as well.

There’s just one problem: McBride is, and has been, a regular — a fact she confirmed herself on Twitter Wednesday. Responding to the “awesome outpouring” of support following news of Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green and Emily Kinney’s promotions, McBride maintained, “I currently am a series regular.” She then chalked up questions about her status to, “legalese.”

The legalese she no doubt refers to also happens to be the source of much of the confusion. Unlike the majority of Walking Dead‘s regulars, McBride’s name is not included in the main title sequence alongside co-stars like Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus. Instead, she’s listed in the secondary credits (aka “Also Starring”) following the first commercial break — a section reserved on most shows for guest stars.

According to sources, the fine print of Walking Dead contracts gives producers (and AMC) the right to include series regulars in either section. To wit, Scott Wilson (Hershel) — who receives the same post-opening credits billing as McBride — is also a series regular.

What’s not clear is how these decisions are made. For example, why was Danai Gurira — who joined the show as Michonne in Season 3 — given main title billing immediately, while an original castmember like McBride has yet to receive that honor?

One person who (surprisingly) doesn’t have the answer is series creator Robert Kirkman. “There are a lot of executive producers on the show and that’s not my forte,” he tells TVLine. “I don’t even know what the series regular term actually really means when it gets down to it, I’m sorry to admit.”

It doesn’t really clear it up though. Most fans consider her a series regular but are disappointed that she’s not been included in the opening sequence. I think we’d all like to know why she is yet to be included. If Danai Gurira and David Morrissey get the honor right from the start, why not McBride after being a cast member since the first episode? If she doesn’t appear in the opening sequence and the 3 actors that were upped to regulars today do, I will be extremely disappointed. McBride deserves better.

I can understand the bump up to the main credits for the others, given the profile of the new actors/characters, and the negotiation processes with agents that might involve that sort of thing. Carol has quietly grown into a strong character in the background. Perhaps a bump is coming, but I understand how what happened happened.

Who cares whether or not she has billing in the opening sequence or after? Honestly, sometimes I think we nitpick everything to death these days! She’s a series regular, that’s good. Her pay and the amount of episodes she will appear in don’t change based on where her name falls, nor does her safety in continuing on the show as we’ve already seen other series regulars killed off. Why worry about such an incredibly tiny detail?

Amen, Adam! At last, someone who sees it the way I do! It doesn’t seem to bother her, so why the big fuss over where her name is? Does it make her less of a regular? Does it take away from her performance? NO! Take a chill pill, folks…..

Actually, sometimes actors get paid a bonus for NOT having their names in the opening credits. A friend of mine had a very large role in a major film some years ago and got an extra $10,000 in exchange for not having his name at the beginning of the film.

Forget Melissa McBride & Scott Wilson, the one who really needs to be included in the main title billing is The Governor’s second henchman (who, according to the Walking Dead Wiki is named Shumpert). His arc this past season, from shooting at people/walkers to the emotions he expresses after the Governor kills the rest of the Woodbury Army, is emmy worthy.

I find it baffling that so many people are upset about this. Are that many of you really paying attention to who is in the credits and when? I have never paid attention to or cared about credits, they just get in the way. That being said, glad to know she is a series regular, but being a series regular won’t keep you from getting killed off.

I never care for these things either, but I did notice in the middle of the third season she was listed in the “Also starring” category. I took it as an indication she might be killed off at some point, maybe it was just wishful thinking… ;)

The thing about it is the tremulous ground that an “Also Starring” cast member stands on. With a show like this, main cast members have a far less chance of dying, and when you have two fan-favorite characters in that category, it doesn’t bode well for their future on the show.

As a regular she should absolutely be in the main credits and I never understood why she wasn’t. She’s the last female standing from the Atlanta group and MMB has been there since the beginning. If that fact alone means anything at all she should be in the main credits.

House credited Oliva Wide, Peter Jacobson and Kal Penn as also starring for seasons. Wilde and Jacobson only made it to the credits in season 7. Strangely, as soon as she did, Wild left the show for most of the season.

Many actors in Deperate Housewives got also starring as well, because the cast was huge.

Melissa McBride needs to be regular cast (your name needs to be in oppening credits). Carol is more important to Michonne, Maggie, Beth, Sasha and Trsysee… I would be very sadness if she continues without appears in oppening credits…

It’s going to depend on which characters are going to be most crucial to story. That’s how they decide. While Melissa and Scott are Series Regulars, they were secondary characters in the season arc. Milton was a more central character to this season’s arc and Dallas Roberts was only recurring.

even though she has been on longer, danai and david have had more speaking parts in one season then she has had in all 3 combined…shes a non factor character, her and beth .. hopefully she gets more speaking parts because i do like her but since she really isnt in the show as often as the others, she shouldnt get main billing, even though shes been there since day 1

There are many factors regarding billing (aka opening credits): the actor’s agent didn’t negotiate top billing or the agent did ask for it and the studio felt she didn’t have the resume to warrant main titles.

Weird, I actually only noticed the “also starring Melissa McBride” in the last episode and thought it strange she was being billed as a secondary cast member. I had no idea there was a ‘controversy’ about it among fans though. As long as some people have things like this to worry about rather than zombies breaking down their door, life must be serving them well I suppose.

+1 Carol has been a fantastic character; realistic and inspiring. All that she’s been through and she’s still there fighting and becoming stronger. She’s my favourite character on the show and McBride does a stellar job.

Reminds me of Gilligan’s Island’s original opening sequence. “…and the rest!” part of the theme song was so ‘controversial’ that they ended up changing it to end with, “the professor and Mary-Anne!” instead.

Guess that’s what he need. “…the old cripple and Carol! Here on Walking Dead Isle~”

I think it is a way of giving them better credits. If you notice, Carol is always credited first and Hershel is always “and Scott Wilson” If they were in the title theme they would just be floating somewhere in the middle instead of noticeably at the beginning and end.

I love you for the Buffy reference! That was such a huge shock, Tara dying in the episode she became a series regular.

However, I doubt they’d do that in The Walking Dead. While the Buffy opening focuses on the characters, the credits for this show are kind of… Just there… They wouldn’t add her name half way through a season, it’d just be there the whole season.

I find it strange that Scott Wilson and Melissa McBride are now the only prison group members in the “Also Starring” category yet they are (for me at least) the best male and female actors on the show.

Agree Scott Wilson is hands down one of the best actors ever. And I enjoy Melissa a lot too she is my favorite female on the show. Why do all the young things get the above line credits AMC? Time to treat those over 40 like they are worth something too. After all they are why many of us watch.

In my opinion, it’s probably a clause in the actors contracts. For example, after Shannen Doherty left Charmed, Holly Marie Combs team had her promoted to AND HOLLY MARIE COMBS as “PIPER” Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus are the bigger stars of the show so it makes sense for them to be in the titles. With Charmed Alyssa used to have the “AND” when Shannen was there; however, when Shannen left, Alyssa became the bigger of the two stars left. Rose was then put in the middle and Holly got an AND plus her characters name. It was great move. That raised her profile.

It’s funny … most TV shows I’ve liked switch to a shorter opening credits sequence once established, so that they can have more actual show content per episode. I love Walking Dead – I’d very much like it to be longer per episode.

But the credits and music are so awesome, I wouldn’t want them to be shortened.

Answer? Put Andrew (pommie) Lincoln’s name up first by itself, then everyone else’s names 2 or 3 at a time (whatever it takes to get everyone on there in the normal amount of time).

We actually… know this. Who are these people questioning those things? O.o the people on the main credit have more appearances or roles in the series, that is all. I bet Beth’s actress (I forgot her name) is gonna be in the also starring credit also next season.

Just face it, she isn’t as important to the story line as others. Not saying she doesn’t do a good job, but she is only a side character. Most of you are obviously not true walking dead fans or you would know that she is expendable, she dies in the comics at the prison. While the tv show does deviate from the comics u can expect them to kill off people in the show that die in the comics. Until Andrea’s death they hadnt killed a single person off who was still alive in the comics. As to tyrese getting credited now, he played a big role in the comics, was ricks right hand man, and was a badass so we can expect that coming up.

They did kill Andrea off – which means they can deviate and make Carol even more of an important character than she was in the comic. I think that’s the big point us fans of McBride are trying to make. Like you said, she’s good. And she can be in important part of the story.

Melissa McBride has a day job. She’s been a top agent for child actors for many years. I’m sure she’s having such a good time just being part of a hit show that she doesn’t really care how she’s billed. I love her portrayal of Carol. Carol may not have a lot of screen time, but she’s important nonetheless. It was her late bloomer talk with Merle that began his soul searching. And she’s the one who advised Andrea to kill the Gov in his sleep.

It’s amazing how that little thing as “ adding trio as regulars” turned into war for Melissa to be included in Titles. Hopefully this will show producers that fans love Carol. I hope they will bring her more lines and will not kill her off in season 4 for no reason.

This is nothing new. Remember when The Professor and Mary Ann were, “and the rest” in the theme song of Gilligan’s Island? ;-) Eventually, they were bumped up to the main credits, but it never mattered.

Ah the silliness that is where your name is listed. I don’t think I’ve ever thought more/less of an actor based on the size/position/order in which their name appears. With a large cast, just list the names in alphabetical order. I don’t hear Maggie Smith complaining because her name’s near the end of the cast list on Downton Abbey.

So we won’t know where the three who were promoted to “series regulars” will be listed when S4 opens. I think everyone knows Melissa’s name SHOULD be where the Cherokee Roses are. Good Lord. Legalese, a.k.a money, politics, or in layman’s terms, B.S! She is one of the stronger actors on show and from what I have seen the actors with top billing get more screen time. I would love to see Melissa get more screen time as well! She deserves it.

Kirkman says “there’s a lot of producers on the show and that’s not my forte”? Ladies and gents, judging from that comment, I would hazard a guess to say that Robert Kirkman isn’t none too happy with how AMC is treating “The Walking Dead” TV series adaption.

Could it be that there’s animosity between AMC and Kirkman? Eveyrthing from not being able to retain a showrunner to changing important elements from the comic series just to keep certain characters around.

That would make sense actually. Have Melissa be in the opening and have Emily be in her old “Also Starring” spot. And I can’t see Sonequa being in the opening credits with her other role on Once Upon a Time possibly becoming a much larger role.

The Wikipedia on “The Walking Dead” had her listed as “reoccurring” actor for seasons I, 2, & 3. But I’ve noticed that it’s been changed to “main” actor for season 2 & 3. That probably had something to do with the confusion. I’m happy to see they fixed it. Melissa is my favorite actor on the show.

Where your name falls in the credits is most important to actors. Do you know it even matters on which side of the screen your name falls. For example when two actors (lawyers) cannot agree to who’s name goes first, sometimes they will agree to split the screen. Now the argument becomes whose name will appear to the right where they feel most viewers will see it first, before they see the name to the left. Billing means everything when you’re an actor. Almost as much as money.